Tame

One of my favorite stories of all time is the "Chronicles of Narnia," by C.S. Lewis.  The adventures of various children going on magical adventures into a fantastical land full of wondrous creatures.  Especially the magnificent character of Aslan the lion.

There are many correlations between Alsan and Jesus/God.  He creates the world of Narnia.  He sacrifices himself to save one who had done wrong.  If you have not read the books go get them and read them.  You're not too old or too young to understand and enjoy them.

One idea that occurs several times in the series is that Aslan is not, "a tame lion."

I think that is probably one of the most true concepts about God in the books.  God is not tame.  He does not fit into our human religion.  He is greater than whatever box we can make for him.  Whether it is a list of rules, or a magnificent cathedral.  Or even restricting him to, "the basics of the early church."

He is so much more than that.  He is not tame.  His ways are not our ways.  Who are we to think we can fathom how God works?  I know I have been guilty of this often.  God is good.  God is love.  This doesn't change.  Even if our definitions of the words do.  We are the ones who change.

What is considered good today might not have been considered good fifty years ago.  Or even twenty.  Either way God is not restricted by our concepts of good...or anything else for that matter.  We don't see the whole picture.  God does.  God made the picture.  In every sense you can imagine...and all the ones you can't.

We can not afford to box God into our concepts.  God is not a galactic wish granter.  He isn't an old sweet grandpa sitting on the porch of heaven waiting for his kids to come home.  He is not limited to our traditions.

Look back through the stories of the Bible and see the things God asks people to do.  Some of it is down right horrible by our standards.  The Plague of the Firstborn.  The Flood.  The massacre after Moses got the ten commandments and the people were worshiping the golden calf.  Pretty much the book of Joshua.  Even his chosen people had his wrath poured out on them.  Not to mention Job.

What did Job ever do wrong?  Nothing.  He was the most righteous person on Earth.  Yet he lost everything.  Was afflicted with physical maladies and pain.  I shudder at, yet love, how God answers Job in chapter 38. (NAS)

Who is this that darkens counsel, by words without knowledge?  Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!  Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Tell Me, if you have understanding,

 Further on God says

Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?  Let him who accuses God answer him!

Job 40:2 (NIV)

These are really good chapters where God is laying it all out on the table.  Job responds in part with this:  (42:4-6 NAS)

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.

I love that.  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear," in other words I know You by what I have heard about you.  Then, "but now my eye sees You...and I repent..."

He is not a tame lion.

And that is a very good thing.  Think about this:

What if God was small enough for us to understand Him?

If God operated as we did, we would be in sorry shape.  But he has offered us grace, and peace and hope in Him.  He's already finished the picture.  He knows what it looks like in the end.  It does not matter if we can't see it, or understand it.

Follow Him with out the regulations and laws.  Follow Him with your heart and soul.  With everything within you.  He gave us what we need to follow Him.  And that is what he wants from us.  To follow, believe, to baptize, teach, and make more disciples.  Go forth and multiply.

Are you willing to follow God with out religion?

After all, He is not a tame lion...


grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Awaiting Further Instructions

As mentioned quite a few posts back I'm a fan of Lost.  I've been re-watching the series from the beginning with a friend who has never seen it.  Last night we got close to the end of Season 2.  I wont spoil it for those who have not seen it, but there is a small scene I would like to describe.

Two characters on a journey to find the meaning of something.  (I know this is the premise for many episodes but bear with me.)  Eko (a former Nigerian drug runner turned priest) and Locke (a former paralyzed box salesman turned great white hunter) trek through the jungle at the prompting of a dream Eko had.  As night closes in Eko tells John they are to make camp and await further instructions.

Have you ever felt like that?

I mean with your walk with God?  You're following him then you feel like you have to stop and figure out what is really going on.  What is the next step.  I know I've been there.  The problem was/is that many times we wait for further instructions and we never get them.  Or we don't want to hear them.  Or we were not supposed to stop to begin with.

Jesus told us a lot of things.  There were a lot of instructions and cues on how to live life.  Most of them were open ended.  Love one another.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  Pick up your cross and follow me.  Love your enemies.  Remain in my Love.

Do it now...and continue to do it.

Read through the Gospels.  Look at the things Jesus told his disciples (an in turn us) to do.  Most of them are not a one and done thing.  He doesn't say "Get baptized."  He tells us to go baptize.  Not get a theological education but to go teach what Jesus taught.

Go.  Do.

The more we live our lives in connection with Jesus the more we hear his voice.  We can hear the audibles he calls out to us.  (I'm not saying literal audible instructions here) but the more we know Him, the more we know His voice.  The more we hear his voice, the more we can do through His power.

If you feel God leading you somewhere you don't need to wait for someone to tell you it's ok.  That's not permission to act blindly and recklessly.  What I'm saying is God speaks to us individually and corporately.  Don't wait to hear what God is telling you to do from someone else.  Pastor's and leaders are great.  But they are not substitutes for God.  There is a serious problem if your relationship with God is solely based on what a preacher tells you it is on a Sunday morning.

Hopefully none of your other relationships work that way.  Just imagine.  You're married.  You never see your spouse or hear from them.  The only way you communicate is by hearing what someone heard them say.  They can hear you all the time.  But you base your understanding of who they are by what someone else tells you.

Yeah.  That doesn't sound good to me either.

When I get married I want to be able to talk with my wife.  Hear what she is saying to me directly with my own ears.  I don't want to hear she loves me through my relatives or people she's known longer than me.  I mean I'll gladly accept that, but it's not enough.  I want to hear her say it.

God is the same way.  He is right next to us.  He can hear us.  He knows what is going on in our life.  We just have to open up and listen for him.  Learn his voice.  Learn to discern what he is telling us over what is just our own mind.  We do that through reading the scriptures and getting to know his voice.  Then we will know his voice when he gives us instructions.

Now don't get me wrong, pastors are incredible people.  The ones I've had the blessing of knowing.  I'm not trying to diminish what they do.  But I think it's time the Church woke up.  And listened to the voice of God himself and respond to him.

Jesus did tell the disciples to wait for further instructions at one point.  And I know there are times he tells us that too.  But remember that he gave us a lot of things that we can continuously do without waiting for instructions.

Feed the hungry.
Clothe the naked.
Care for the sick.
Visit the prisoner.
Love your neighbor.
Love your enemy.
Love God.
Take up your cross.
Follow Me.
Go.
Baptize.
Make disciples.
Teach.
Remember Me.

These are not items on a check list.  They are primary directives.  Stop waiting for further instructions and start on the ones we already have.

grace, peace & hope
-Bear